Overdue Attention for Overlooked Women Old Masters Several significant exhibitions of Old Masters have been announced, and while large shows of Renaissance and Baroque paintings aren’t anything new, this recent spate is solely focused on women painters of the eras. From Washington DC’s National Museum of Women in the Arts to London’s National Gallery and Madrid’s Museo Nacional del Prado, shows dedicated to artists including …
As autumn unfolds, its splendors permeate everyday life: foliage falls on city streets and in forests, and the scent of pumpkin and spices burns in lobbies and living rooms all over. But one naturally occurring aroma eludes some noses and pleases those that can smell it: the katsura, or “caramel tree.” Native to Japan and China (and, at one point, possibly North America), the Cercidiphyllum …
Amidst an excavation of the ancient Egyptian city Thmuis, researchers uncovered the ruins of a fragrance factory dating back to 300 BC. The site contained tiny glass perfume jars, imported clay amphoras and an ancient sludge. The latter was brought to ancient Egyptian perfume experts who then replicated residue based on recipes—featuring myrrh, cardamom, green olive oil, and cinnamon—found in materia medica texts. (An act …
